


Friends with benefits...

by Dabberdees



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Don't Ask, Gen, Graham's backstory before marrying Grace is free real estate and you can write anything, Jack pulls in a favour with the British government and the Fams wanted posters, M/M, Past Jack/Graham, This is for the people on tumblr who I whispered Jackham to in the dead of night, Yaz has the only braincell in Team TARDIS, graham is bi because everyone is gay in doctor who, i don't make the rules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22307509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dabberdees/pseuds/Dabberdees
Summary: Yaz finds out that they're no longer wanted because someone Graham knows pulled in a favour.Yaz is also tired,very tired.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Graham O'Brien, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair
Comments: 12
Kudos: 165





	Friends with benefits...

**Author's Note:**

> i bugged @SapphicHymns while writing this and for that, i am sorry  
> anyway, Graham moved around and his history is free real estate.

They finally touch back into Sheffield after five planets and one Earth in the future that none of them wants to think about or consider for the time being.

But that’s then, and as the Doctor said, it's a possible future. They can still change it, but-

Graham shakes his head, pushing the thoughts away as he steps out of the TARDIS and into his back garden. He glances behind himself to check if that Doctor has landed on anything important, thankfully she hasn't this time. Ryan and Yaz follow out after a moment, both looking exactly how he feels. Eyes searching the sky and chests taking deep breaths like the chance will be gone tomorrow.

“It’s not set in stone,” Graham soothes, trying to lessen their worry. “We could still change it if we-”

“It seemed set in stone, Graham, and what could three people do?” Ryan retorts, shouldering his way past Graham. He makes it to the backdoor and then into the house without much more than a glance back.

Graham stares after him, mouth set in a thin line before he turns to Yaz. “How are you holding up, cockle?”

Yaz flicks her eyes to Graham and matches his expression. “It's a lot to take in.”

Graham tilts his head to the side, eyes considering the younger woman. “You figured it out before I did, didn’t you?” He states, not accusatory but pointing it out between them. 

Yaz nods, eyes darting away and hands sticking in pockets. She’s locking into herself, burying troubles away and stacking them high on a shelf in Graham’s opinion.

“Fancy a cuppa?”

"What?"

"A cuppa."

Yaz looks back to Graham again. “I should contact my parents; they'll be wondering and worrying about me-”

“You can use the landline because we-” Graham trails away, the comment ceasing in his throat before it even formed. “I’ll stick a brew on.” He goes to turn towards the backdoor, pausing and then ducking back to the TARDIS and pushing the door open. “I’m putting a brew on, Doc, you’re welcome to come in if you want.”

"Maybe, go on without me." Come the Doctor's muted reply.

“She might not join us, Graham, she hasn’t had tea with us in the kitchen for a while,” Yaz says in a hushed voice.

Graham pulls away from the door, allowing it to shut behind him. "Doesn't hurt inviting her though, does it?"

“No, it doesn’t,” Yaz replies, head turning to look at the TARDIS. “I’d wish she’d tell us what’s wrong.”

“All in good time, she'll tell us when she's ready, love,” Graham says before smiling slightly and nodding towards the door. “Now, how about that tea and your phonecall, alright?” Yaz nods back at him and follows after the older man and into his kitchen. “Phones in the living room.”

“I know, Graham,” Yaz smiles, fleeting at best but the older man will take it for the moment. “Been around yours for chippy more times than I’d care to admit.”

“Can’t beat a chippy,” Graham calls out after her. He turns towards the kettle, picking it up and quickly filling with water. He settles it back onto its base unit, flicking it on and waiting for the water to boil.

He leans against the side, thoughts running away from him. Yaz is speaking in the living room, and he tries not to listen in and pry, but it’s difficult not to when the only sound you have going is the kettle boiling away.

Of course, he only picks up one side of the conversation.

 _‘No, mum, I’m fine,’_ Beat. _‘Around Graham’s and Ryan’s, we’re safe now.’_ Another pause, this one longer. _‘It was a misunderstanding-’_ Cut off. _‘No, it’s not the Doctor’s fault-’_

Isn’t it? A thought pops into his head, drowning out the rest of Yaz’s onesided conversation. It’s a thought he shakes away quickly. It’s not a real one, just one that you get in your head that makes you wonder what the hell it was about, but it doesn’t half make him wonder.

 _‘No, I haven’t seen the papers, mum.’_ Yaz says, dragging Graham’s attention back to the present. _‘Are we still, uh, wanted?’_ Yaz voices the question that Graham also wants to know. He never asked the Doc how long it’s been since they all escaped Earth. _‘Okay, that’s good, I guess.’_ There’s another pause, not as long, but obvious Yaz’s mother is speaking. _‘I’ll see you all in a bit, alright? Yeah, I love you as well.’_

Graham hears the phone being placed back and he quickly turns around to the kettle, facing it as it comes to boil and pretending that he wasn’t listening in to Yaz’s conversation when she re-enters the kitchen, hands in pockets. “There’s some good news, Graham.”

“Oh?” Graham asks as he reaches up into the cupboard to pull down four mugs. Ryan might’ve gone to sulk upstairs, but he’ll still make him a brew. “What’s that?”

“We're not wanted anymore,” Yaz informs. She heads over to the small table and pulls out a chair. “Apparently someone cleared out names, had reliable information that we were framed. Not sure who it was, but whoever they were we owe them our thanks.”

Graham frowns, brows really knitting together in thought. “Who, though?” He asks as he throws four tea bags into the empty cups. “Maybe it was MI6?”

“I’m not sure about that, Graham,” Yaz says, arms folding across her chest. “C was killed, and we left pretty quickly, they would’ve been in chaos. Why would they bother to clear our names?”

“Good point,” Graham says while topping the mugs with hot water. “How about the Doctor? Cause she saved us on the plane, maybe she did that as well-”

“How, Graham?” Yaz questions. “She rushed off pretty when we mentioned the plane to her.”

Graham goes to speak, only to pause and think. “She seemed okay when she was with those two people, but then she came back, and she was different,” He shrugs, turning around to lean against the counter while the teas brew. “Something between then and when we met back up happened.”

“And we don’t know what it was, if only she-” Yaz trails off, brows knitting together when Graham’s front door knocks quickly. “You expecting anyone?”

“No,” Graham replies, frowning. “I’ll get it.”

Graham makes his way from the kitchen. He hears Yaz pushing the chair out and following as he walks into the hallway.

“Who’s that?” Ryan asks from the top of the stairs, feet carrying him down halfway. "We're not expecting anyone."

“I have no idea,” Graham responds. He continues forward and unlatches the lock. He glances back to Ryan and Yaz before turning around and pulling the door open.

“You’ve got some explaining to do.” Graham stares at a man he knows, or well, _knew_ , quite well. The man pushes past Graham, eyes flicking to Ryan and Yaz and then looking around the house. "A lot of explaining to do."

“You can’t just enter someone’s house without invitation,” Yaz says, copper voice coming through. "Graham didn't invite you in."

The man turns and looks at her. “You three owe me a thanks.”

“What?” Ryan says as he finally makes his way down the rest of the stairs. “A thanks. Why? And who are you?”

The entryway feels suddenly feels very claustrophobic. Ryan is staring down the stranger. Yaz’s eyes are narrowed and focused on him, her body blocking him from the rest of the house. Meanwhile, Graham turns slowly as he closes the door, eyes locked against the stranger in the long World War Two coat. His mouth opens and closes several times; voice stuck in his throat as he stares at a man he hasn’t seen in at least three decades.

“Graham could probably answer that for you,” The man says. “When he finally remembers how to speak, that is.”

Graham blinks, waking up from his surprise at seeing a ghost from his past. “What are you doing here?” He asks, each word having its own unique emphasis. "How are you here?"

“It's nice to see you again as well, Graham.”

Ryan shares a glance with Yaz. “Who the hell are you?” He looks at Graham. “Graham, you know him?”

Jack faces Ryan and smiles. “I’m Cap-”

“Shut up, Jack, don't start with him,” Graham interjects with a sudden weariness. He looks to Ryan and then to Yaz and then gestures to the man he called Jack. “This is Captain Jack Harkness, an old friend of mine.”

Jack beams at them. “And one who saved all of your asses.” He frowns after a second and stares at Graham. "An old friend? I thought-"

“Wait,” Yaz says, mind travelling back to what her mum said over the phone. “It was you who got rid of our wanted status?”

Jack glances to Yaz and shrugs. “Took a bit of doing, but I do have some friends remaining in positions of power,” He reveals. “Lucky I dropped by when I did, Graham,” He says, jabbing the older man in the chest. “Wanted for hijacking and terrorism. Dare I ask why you're wanted for that?”

“It’s a long story,” Graham retorts. He frowns and stares at Jack’s face. “You haven’t changed at all since I last saw you. How?”

“It’s a long story.”

Both men stare at one another, neither one backing down for the moment, but Graham relents first, eyes darting away and expression softening somewhat. Jack smiles back before stepping forward and grabbing Graham into a surprise hug, one that the older man splutters through.

“Jack, let me go, for Pete’s sake, let me go-”

Jack relents and lets Graham go who straightens out his shirt and jacket. “You had me worried, Graham.”

“Can someone explain what is going on here?” Ryan asks, looking between them both. “Cause I feel lost in my own home. You obviously know each other, but how?”

Graham looks at Ryan. “I met Jack back in the eighties,” He explains, the tone in his voice trying to remain neutral and slightly missing the mark and turning to suspicion instead. “I had some work lined up in Cardiff, and we sorta bumped into each other, that’s all.” 

“Yeah,” Jack nods, eyes narrowing at Graham before turning back to Ryan. “We were just _friends_.”

“So how did you manage to swing it, so our names got cleared then?” Yaz asks, deciding to bring the topic back to the one at hand.

“As I said, I know some people who owed me a few favours.” Jack answers. “It’s kinda cramped in the hallway, how about we move into the next room?” He suggests, looking at them all.

Graham gives a nod to Yaz who steps back, allowing them all entre to the living room. Jack looks around, showing an interest in everything. “Very homely, Graham.”

“Mhmm,” Graham replies as he takes a seat on the sofa. “How did you find where I lived?”

“Graham O’Brien, fifty-nine-years old, blood type A-Positive,” Jack lists off on his fingers. “Easy really, also, your polling card. Have friends in the government; it comes in handy.”

"Isn't that illegal?" Ryan questions looking at Yaz. "I thought it was confidential."

"Yes, it is."

“I think we both probably have a lot of explaining to do,” Graham murmurs.

“Yeah,” Jack agrees, settling himself down on the arm of the sofa. “You first or me?”

Graham shrugs. “Does it matter?”

“No,” Jack replies, watching as Ryan and Yaz take their own seats. “First of all, Graham, I never worked for the tourist board.”

“Well, that much was obvious because you’re not exactly Welsh and I'm not as stupid as you thought.”

“You never said anything about it though.”

“Because I didn’t want to,” Graham reveals with a shrug. “You had your secrets; I had mine.”

Yaz glances to Ryan, brows furrowed in thought. “You were friends, did you say?”

_“Sort off,”_

_“Yes.”_

Jack and Graham say at the same time, both looking at each other. 

“What is your issue?”

“I don’t have an issue.”

“Yes, you do,” Jack points out. “You never had an issue before.”

“Before what?”

Jack turns to Ryan. “Me and him,” He gestures between himself and Graham. “We were together.”

“Together?” Ryan repeats, looking confused. “What does he mean, gramps?”

“Gramps?” Jack blurts out, eyes wide and locking back onto Graham. “Since when did you have-”

“Shut up, Jack,” Graham bites out, expression filled with annoyance. He closes his eyes sighs. “It’s a long story, but yes, we were together as Jack so carelessly put it.”

“I don’t understand,” Ryan says, shoulders slumping.

Yaz stares at them all; one part surprised to find something out about Graham that he so carefully hid, the other part surprised that Ryan hasn’t managed to click on to what they’re talking about. She sighs and looks at Ryan. “They dated, Ryan, that's what they mean by they were together.”

Ryan blinks, gaze flicking between Jack and Graham like he’s watching a tennis match. “Oh.” He grimaces. "I don't want to know who you dated in the eighties or what you did."

"I didn't say anything about what I did," Graham fires back. "I wasn't even planning on saying anything in the first place."

“You never told them?” Jack asks in disbelief. "Why?"

“No, I didn’t,” Graham answers back. “I told Grace-"

"Grace?"

"My wife."

"Where is she?" Jack asks, innocently and wishing he didn't when he spots the looks on their faces. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, thanks," Graham mumbles before sighing. "I didn’t know how to tell Ryan, and with Yaz and the Doc, it just never came up and then it would’ve been-”

“Stop,” Jack interjects. “Roll that sentence back a second, did you just say _‘the Doc’_ as in the _Doctor_.”

“Yeah, why?” Graham reveals in confusion. “What’s she got to do with this?”

“She?”

“Yeah.”

Jack pauses. Eyes blinking slowly. “Where is _she_ now?”

“In the TARDIS,” Graham answers. “She parked her in my back garden.”

Ryan looks at Yaz. “I swear this conversation is like getting kicked in the stomach multiple times. First I find out we weren’t wanted anymore and this guy got us off, then I find out my grandad-” His eyes focus on Graham who shifts. “-kept things from me like the fact that he also dated this guy-”

“It wasn’t like that, son,” Graham defends himself. “I just never got round to telling you, did I?” He says. “And- _and_ I’m allowed to keep things about myself to myself, aren’t I?”

“I never said you couldn’t keep things to yourself,” Ryan replies sheepishly. “Anyway, now Jack is acting like he knows the Doctor.”

“Acting like I know the Doctor?” Jack echoes with a frown. “I’m not acting like I know the Doctor, I'm just wondering if we know the same Doctor here and I think we do.”

Graham goes to open his mouth, stopping when the back door gets opened, footsteps following after. “Fam?” A voice that Ryan, Graham, and Yaz knows all too well calls out. “Where are- wait, why is there four half made cups of tea on the side getting cold?” The voice continues to ask, getting closer and then entering the living room. “Did you forget the-” She trails off the moment she spots Jack sat at the sofa.

“Doctor.”

“Captain.”

“You’ve changed.”

“And you haven’t.” The Doctor looks between them all before focusing back onto Jack. “How did you find me?”

“Find you?”

“Yeah.” The Doctor frowns. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You found me somehow.”

“Actually, for once no it isn’t, Doctor,” Jack replies, eyes darting to Graham. “I’m here for him.”

“Graham?” The Doctor stares at Graham. “What do you want with a bus driver?”

“Bus driver?” Jack turns back to Graham. “Since when were you a bus driver? You weren’t one when I met you.”

“Met him?”

“See what I mean, Yaz,” Ryan says suddenly. “This conversation is like getting kicked in all directions because you can't predict where it's going to go.” Yaz can only nod back, agreeing with him, oh she should've just went back home to deal with twenty questions from her mum.

Graham sighs and stares at the Doctor. “Me and Jack dated for a while back in the eighties, that’s how I know him, but it seems he also knows you.”

“Jack,” The Doctor says with frustration. “Stop it.”

“Stop it?”

“You know what I mean.”

“In my defence, Doctor, I think I knew him first before you did,” Jack snarks at her.

Yaz can feel the beginnings of a migraine starting. She exhales and gets up, making them all turn to her. “I should really be getting back.”

“You okay?” Graham asks with concern.

“I’m fine, Graham,” Yaz replies. “And if I’m honest it seems like you three have a _lot_ to talk about.”

Ryan nods as well, getting up and joining Yaz. “I’m-” he trails off, eyes desperately looking at Yaz for help.

“You can come, Ryan,” Yaz relents. “Let’s leave them to talk this out.”

“Yeah, lets."

Yaz gives a wave to them all, mouth set in a thin line as she leaves the front room with Ryan following behind her. She pulls open the front door and steps outside just as the conversation in the front room picks up again only to cut off when Ryan shuts the door.

“I hope they’re done when I come back,” Ryan says with a shudder.

"Why's that?"

“I do not need to know the ins and outs of my grandad’s love life,” Ryan says, eyes wide and a look of dread on his face. "I really don't."


End file.
